You've got some splainin' to do . . .

It isn't her.
Updates appear at bottom of posting

UPDATED: Wednesday, October 28, 1:33 p.m., 6:24 p.m.

UPDATED Thursday, October 29, 2:50 p.m.

Linda?  We have to chat.

There seems to be a little problem determining your whereabouts for a number of years. You have refused to release your resume; it's almost as if you have something to hide. 

But how can that possibly be since you invite us to judge you on your public record?  You're Transparency Thompson.  You've got nothing to hide.

You want to make us work for the information? Fine.  Just so you know, we're very lazy and being forced to dig for basic information pisses us off.  But the greater danger for you is that one thing leads to another and things involving you have a tendency to get curious and curiouser. Besides, when  we're pissed off our curiosity becomes insatiable - we can't help but think, "What else is she hiding?"

We know you don’t keep up with the Internet, being an old school communications major and all, but some of us do and sweetie, you wouldn’t believe the information that’s out there. And. It. Never. Goes. Away. Pathetic bloggers know and depend on this.

So. What have we discovered with our hunting, pecking and clicking?

Well, the “D” in your middle name is for Deliah. You graduated from Howard University in 1985 with a degree in communications. You still owe $11,000 on your student loan. Not very exciting stuff, but it's a start.

Since Howard University is in Washington, D.C., we can fairly surmise you were in D.C. during the time you attended HU. Assuming a four year program and we get a time frame of 1981-85. A little more surfing around the Internet led us to the online records of the District of Columbia Superior Court.  The "Search by Name Advanced" button gives one the option to enter a name and a middle initial, plus a date range. 

As we said, one thing leads to another and we happened upon the following record which we found interesting enough to ask you about.

What do you know about a Linda D. Thompson who in 1982 was found guilty for heroin possession?

We only ask because it’s a public record, it coincides with the time period you were likely in Washington, D.C. and you invited scrutiny.  The records are accessible to anyone with a computer and an Internet connection.  It's not like we rummaged through your nightstand. Welcome to the information age!

We think it’s a fair question. And we really don’t want to hear whining about “politics of personal destruction” or any other of your usual diversionary bullshit.

Despite being asked nicely and repeatedly, you haven’t been forthcoming about your personal history so the relevant question occurs: Are you the Linda D. Thompson guilty of heroin possession in 1982?

Yes or no? (Just so you know, at this point in the proceedings an answer in the negative will require additional documentation.)

And since we’re on the topic, what do you know about the six other court dockets mentioning a Linda D. Thompson from 1980-2000?

It might be a crazy coincidence but since you told us to look at your public record and this popped up, we’re obligated to ask.  Our lawyers assure us it's a fair question.

No doubt you'll want to clear this up way faster than you addressed the LOVESHIP issues that lauched this pathetic blog.

UPDATE 1:33 p.m.

This post appeared in the PennLive forum  allegedly from a Patriot-News staffer:

Actually, with great respect to Harrisburg Forward who did great work in reporting the Loveship dream house "success story", the Patriot had checked this one out. The Linda D. Thompson in DC court records (there are more than one) have different personal information, including birth dates. The paper has been working to verify social security numbers to be certain, but it looks very possible, even likely, that these are different Linda D. Thompsons.

A similar statement is posted in the "Comments" section below.

Thank you.  We are pleased the Patriot is deploying resources to resolve this question and look forward to not only a definitive answer on the identity of the Linda D. Thompsons in the D.C. court records, but also documentation on Thompson's whereabouts and employment between college and her tenure at the Urban League. 

Insofar as the verification of social security numbers, how are SS numbers verified upon intake to the court system?  Is it possible for a defendant to supply a false Social Security number to the courts?  Mug shots would put the matter to rest one way or the other.

We will update this story as it develops, but we stand by what we have written thus far.  At this point we still don't know if any of the Linda D. Thompsons listed in the DC court documents are the Linda D. Thompson running for Mayor. Nor do we know where she was and what she was doing for a number of years.

UPDATE  6:24 p.m.

Channel 27 News reports they have looked into the case and the birthdates of the women are different.  Now we have that information from two sources.  But are we getting any closer to the truth?    Linda has been oddly vague about her birthday.  We know she's 49 so it's not a vanity thing.  We are reliably informed that people who know how to work the system frequently alter a digit in their birthdates to reduce hits from computer searches.  Convince us more.

In a shocking development, Ms. Thompson has declared her intention to sue us. 

We're hiding in the nearest gas station.

UPDATE Thursday, October 29, 2:50 p.m.

We are now reasonably convinced the Linda D. Thompson guilty of heroin possession in 1982 in D.C. is likely not our Linda D. Thompson, mayoral candidate. No help from Miss Transparency in that regard.

But let us be clear and shout from the rooftops: A heroin possession charge is apparently NOT among Linda Deliah Thompson's skeletons.

Although now we more fully understand why she has good reason to be vague about her birthdate and resume. It's such a simple request really. A copy of her birth certificate would suffice. And how hard is a resume? One with dates?